Method for inserting a wire into a groove of a semiconductor chip, and piece of equipment for implementing such a method

ABSTRACT

A method for inserting a wire into a longitudinal groove of a semiconductor chip for the assembly thereof, the groove containing a pad made of a bonding material having a set melting point, the method comprises: in a positioning step, placing a longitudinal section of the wire along the groove, in forced abutment against the pad; and, in an insertion step, exposing a zone containing at least one portion of the pad to a processing temperature higher than the melting point of the bonding material and for a sufficient time to make the pad at least partially melt, and causing the wire to be inserted into the groove. The present disclosure also relates to a piece of equipment allowing the insertion method to be implemented.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 ofInternational Patent Application PCT/FR2018/050166, filed Jan. 25, 2018,designating the United States of America and published as InternationalPatent Publication WO 2018/138437 A1 on Aug. 2, 2018, which claims thebenefit under Article 8 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty to FrenchPatent Application Serial No. 1750728, filed Jan. 30, 2017.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a method for inserting a wire into agroove of a semiconductor chip for assembly thereof. It also relates toa piece of equipment implementing this insertion method. It finds anexemplary application in the field of RFID electronic tagging(“Radiofrequency Identification”) to directly associate an antenna witha transmission reception chip and provide a particularly smallradiofrequency device that is simple to manufacture. This device can beintegrated into a textile thread and this thread itself can beintegrated into a wide variety of objects for the identification,tracking, and administration thereof.

BACKGROUND

For example, the technology used to assemble a wire and a chip known asE-THREAD™ is known from the documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,471,713,8,093,617, 8,093,617, 8,723,312, US2015318409, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,782,880,8,814,054 or US 2015230336.

With this technology, the chip has a longitudinal groove and alongitudinal section of the wire is inserted into this groove. Theassembly can be obtained by embedding the wire in the groove, thedimensions of the wire and of the groove then being sufficientlyadjusted to mechanically join the two elements to each other. Asdisclosed in the documents WO2009112644 and WO2014041107, the groove mayin some cases be provided with a pad making it possible to clamp thewire in the groove, so as to hold it there. In addition oralternatively, the assembly can be obtained or reinforced by adding anadhesive material between the wire and the chip, by soldering or brazingthe wire and the chip.

In the document U.S. Pat. No. 8,471,773, the wire is electricallyconductive and the semiconductor chip contains a transmission receptioncircuit. The assembly of the wire and the chip makes it possible tocontact the wire and an input-output terminal of the transmissionreception circuit to form an operational transmission reception device.The wire is an antenna of this device.

Inserting the wire into the chip groove is a particularly delicateoperation, especially in an industrial context where it is necessary tobe able to maintain a high production rate.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 8,782,880 discloses a piece of insertionequipment adapted to maintain this rate. Large wires are supplied in thepiece of equipment in the form of coils and the chips stored in a tank.Two wires are unwound from the coils to be supplied, parallel to eachother, to a clamping zone of the piece of equipment. It is alsoconfigured to successively bring the chips from the tank to thisclamping zone, between the two wires, and embed a longitudinal sectionof each wire in a longitudinal groove of the chip. Alternatively, thisdocument provides for the welding of the wire and a metal pad placed inthe groove to each other to secure the chip and the wire at the outletof the insertion piece of equipment. A chain is thus formed thatconsists of a plurality of chips connected by large wires. The chipchain can be wound on a support to form a storage reel. Segments of thischain can be removed from the storage reel by cutting the wiresaccording to a desired cutting pattern.

The insertion technology provided for in this piece of equipmentrequires the application of relatively significant efforts on the wiresto embed them in the grooves. This “forced” insertion of the wire intothe groove can lead to weakening or breaking during or after theinsertion. In addition, this insertion technology is particularlysensitive to the correct adjustment of the groove and the wiredimensions. A wrong adjustment may lead to an insufficiently robustassembly, or on the contrary, require excessive force that may lead tothe breakage of, or damage to the wire.

It would be advantageous to have an insertion technique that does notrequire the application of as much effort as the state of the art. Itwould also be advantageous to be able to insert and assemble the wireand the chip in the same step, without excessive effort.

BRIEF SUMMARY

With a view to achieving at least one of these purposes, the subjectmatter of the present disclosure proposes, according to a first aspect,a method for inserting a wire into a longitudinal groove of asemiconductor chip for the assembly thereof, the groove containing a padmade of a bonding material having a set melting point, the methodcomprising:

-   -   in a positioning step, placing a longitudinal section of the        wire along the groove, in forced abutment against the pad; and    -   in an insertion step, exposing a zone containing at least one        portion of the pad to a processing temperature higher than the        melting point of the bonding material and for a sufficient time        to make the pad at least partially melt, and causing the wire to        be inserted into the groove.

According to other advantageous and unrestrictive characteristics of thepresent disclosure, taken alone or in any technically feasiblecombination:

-   -   the method comprises, upon completion of the insertion step,        solidifying the bonding material to assemble the wire and the        chip;    -   the wire is maintained in a state of tension opposite the groove        and the positioning step consists in pressing the wire against        the pad;    -   the pad is brought to the induction processing temperature by        exposing the zone to a hot air flow or a light flow;    -   the method comprises, before or during the positioning step, a        step of preparing the longitudinal section of the wire intended        to be inserted into the groove;    -   the preparation step comprises the deposition of a coating layer        on the longitudinal section of the wire;    -   the preparation step includes a step of cleaning and/or        deoxidation of the longitudinal section of the wire;    -   the insertion step is followed by a reinforcing step comprising        dispensing an adhesive in the groove and on the longitudinal        section of the wire exposed in the groove;    -   the insertion step is followed by a step of encapsulating the        chip and/or wires;    -   the wire is electrically conductive; and    -   the method comprises repeating the positioning and inserting        steps so as to insert a plurality of chips onto the wire and        form a chain 16, 21.

In another aspect, the present disclosure also proposes a piece ofequipment for inserting a wire into at least one chip, the chip having agroove to receive a longitudinal section of the wire and the groovecontaining a pad made of a bonding material having a set melting point,the piece of equipment comprising:

-   -   positioning members for deploying and moving a length of the        wire between a first and a second end of a workspace;    -   a device for handling the chip capable of placing the chip in an        insertion position in which the groove is placed opposite the        wire;    -   a positioning member for arranging the longitudinal section of        the wire along the groove, in forced abutment against the pad;        and    -   a heating member for raising to a processing temperature a zone        comprising the pad when the chip is placed in the insertion        position.

According to other advantageous and unrestrictive characteristics of thepresent disclosure, taken alone or in any technically feasiblecombination:

-   -   the positioning members are configured to deploy two parallel        wires between the first and the second ends, and wherein the        insertion position is located between the two wires;    -   the insertion equipment has at least one additional member        arranged in the workspace, downstream or upstream of the chip        insertion position; and    -   the additional member and the positioning member are positioned        and configured in the workspace so that the processing performed        by these components can be conducted simultaneously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure willemerge from the detailed description of the present disclosure thatfollows with reference to the appended figures on which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b represent, in perspective and in cross-section, a chipcompatible with an insertion method according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2a to 2e show the steps of a method according to the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 3a and 3b show a piece of equipment configured to implement amethod according to the present disclosure at two particular timesduring its operation;

FIGS. 4a to 4c show an exemplary application of the method to themanufacturing of a first reception transmission device; and

FIGS. 5a to 5c show an exemplary application of the method of thepresent disclosure to the manufacturing of a second transmissionreception device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1a shows, in perspective, an electronic component, referred to as a“semiconductor chip” 1, or more simply a “chip” in the followingdescription, compatible with an insertion method according to thepresent disclosure. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of such a chip 1.

The chip 1 has two longitudinal grooves 2 a, 2 b, parallel to each otherand respectively formed on two side faces 1 a, 1 b of the chip 1,opposite each other. This configuration makes it possible to keep allits generality to the description that follows, but the presentdisclosure is by no means limited to this number and this arrangement ofgrooves, and the chip 1 can quite well be provided with a single or anynumber of groove(s), each arranged in any orientation on any one of thefaces of the chip 1, without leaving the scope of the presentdisclosure. These longitudinal grooves 2 a, 2 b are provided each toreceive and accommodate a longitudinal section of a wire (not shown inthese FIGS. 1a and 1b ). To facilitate the insertion of the wire, eachgroove 2 a, 2 b extends, on the face of the chip that it is placed on,from one side to the other of the chip 1. In the following, the portionof the wire that is or will be accommodated in a groove of the chip,depending on its length, is referred to as the “longitudinal section ofthe wire”.

According to the present disclosure, the height and depth dimensions ofthe grooves 2 a, 2 b are chosen large enough, or the wire cross-sectionis chosen small enough, so that each wire can be accommodated in agroove 2 a, 2 b without mechanically forcing its embedding. To promotethe connection of the wire to the chip 1, it is generally preferable,for the longitudinal section of the wires to be able to be fullyaccommodated in the grooves, i.e., the accommodated portion of each wiredoes not extend beyond the face of the chip that the groove is formedon. When the chip 1 has a plurality of grooves 2 a, 2 b as in FIGS. 1aand 1b , they are not necessarily of the same size. Similarly, the wiresthat are to be accommodated in the grooves are not necessarily of thesame nature and do not necessarily have identical cross-sections.

The chip 1 comprises a substrate 3 having a functional circuit 4, suchas a transmission reception circuit, a calculation device, a sensor, aLED or any other form of integrated circuit provided on the substrate 3,for example, using techniques known in the semiconductor field. Thefunctional circuit 4 can be electrically connected to one or moreconnection terminal(s) 4 a, 4 b leading into either one of the grooves 2a, 2 b using conductive tracks or vias formed on or in the substrate 3.At least one of the wires can then be brought into electrical contactwhen it is inserted into one of the grooves 2 a, 2 b with the functionalcircuit 4. In this case, the wire assembled to the chip 1 is not asimple mechanical support for the chip 1, but can contribute to theoperation thereof, for example, by forming an antenna, or byelectrically connecting the chip to a power supply, or still bydistributing a signal to another chip that would also be connectedthereto. In this case, of course, the wire is made of, or includes anelectrically conductive material. If the wire is provided with aninsulating sheath, it may be necessary to strip the wire at itslongitudinal section to be accommodated in the groove in order to enablean electrical contact with a connection terminal. But the presentdisclosure is by no means limited to an electrical conductive wireconnected to a connection terminal located in a groove of the chip 1. Itcan be envisaged that the wire will be made of a non-conductive materialthat forms a mechanical support for this chip. Alternatively, the chipmay be provided with a plurality of wires arranged in grooves, at leastone wire being a metal conductor electrically connected to the chip 1,at least another wire being an electrical insulator and being used onlyas a support.

In the description of FIGS. 1a and 1b , the chip 1 also includes a cover5, with a T-shaped section, the base of the T being assembled with amain face of the substrate 3. In this way, the two longitudinal grooves2 a, 2 b are formed between the T-bar of the cover 5 and the mainsurface of assembly with the substrate 3. Like the substrate 3, thecover 5 can also be provided with a functional circuit, connectionterminals and/or conductive tracks or vias. These elements can beelectrically and functionally connected to the functional circuit 4.

Other configurations of the chip 1 than the one shown in the figuresbelow and 1 b are possible. For example, the chip 1 may consist of asingle flat support having the functional circuit 4, the longitudinalgrooves 2 a, 2 b being formed, for example, by etching, on two oppositelateral faces of this support, or on one and/or the other of the mainfaces of this support. According to another configuration, the chip 1can consist of two flat supports of identical or similar dimensions,each having a functional circuit. The flat supports are each assembledto the two opposite sides of a smaller spacer to define the twolongitudinal grooves 2 a, 2 b of the chip 1. The spacer can consist of apart made up of a sufficiently thick layer of adhesive.

Whatever the configuration chosen, a chip 1 compatible with an insertionmethod according to the present disclosure shall have at least onelongitudinal groove 2 a, 2 b for receiving and accommodating alongitudinal section of a wire.

Also according to the present disclosure, the groove 2 a, 2 b containsat least one pad 6 a, 6 b made of a bonding material. In the exampleshown in FIGS. 1a, 1b the pads 6 a, 6 b are arranged in the grooves 2 a,2 b on the face of the cover 5 forming one of the walls of the grooves 2a, 2 b, and over their whole length. Alternatively, the pads 6 a, 6 bcould be placed on another wall forming the grooves 2 a, 2 b, forexample, on the cover 5 side. Alternatively, each pad 6 a, 6 b of aplurality of elementary pads, distinct from each other, arranged in agroove over a reduced length, could be chosen. Whatever the shape,volume or arrangement of the pads 6 a, 6 b in the grooves 2 a, 2 b, theyare so large that it is not possible to perfectly accommodate the wiresin the grooves 2 a, 2 b in their presence. As will be made explicit inthe following description, each pad 6 a, 6 b forms a reserve of abonding material that will allow the assembly and good mechanicalstrength of the wire accommodated in each of the grooves 2 a, 2 b.

The material constituting each pad 6 a, 6 b is chosen so that itsmelting point is relatively low. This melting point is lower than themaximum temperature that the functional circuit 4 of the chip 1 can beexposed to without damage. If, for example, this maximum temperature is350° C., the material of the pads 6 a, 6 b should be chosen so that itsmelting point is lower than 350° C., for example, 300° C.Advantageously, for reasons of simplicity of the insertion methoddescribed below, this material is chosen so that its melting point isbetween 80° C. and 100° C. or 150° C., or 250° C. The materialconstituting each pad 6 a, 6 b may include a plurality of elementalcompounds. For example, it may be an alloy of metals, such as tin,silver and copper. It should be noted that the chip 1 is intended to behandled at atmospheric pressure, and therefore the mentioned meltingpoint is determined at this pressure. In addition, it is not necessaryfor all the pads 6 a, 6 b or elementary pads to be made of the samematerial.

Advantageously, especially when a pad 6 a, 6 b is used to electricallyconnect a wire to a connection terminal of the chip 1, it is made of anelectrically conductive material. But, as noted above, this is notcompulsory.

The chip 1 can be mass-produced, using technologies of the semiconductorintegrated circuits field, as taught in the mentioned state-of-the-artdocuments. The pads 6 a, 6 b can be advantageously manufactured duringthe manufacture of the chip 1, for example, by forming them bydeposition on the substrate 3 before the assembly thereof with the cover5 or, more generally before the formation of the cover 5. It is alsopossible to consider forming the pads 6 a, 6 b in the longitudinalgrooves 2 a, 2 b after manufacturing the chip 1, for example, bydispensing the bonding material forming these pads 6 a, 6 b in a liquidform, at a temperature above its melting point, directly into thegrooves 2 a, 2 b.

The present disclosure takes advantage of the characteristics of thechip 1 to propose a particularly clever method for inserting at leastone wire into at least one groove 2 a, 2 b of the chip 1 that does notrequire a forced embedding of this wire, and therefore limits the forcesapplied to the wire during its insertion. This method is described whilereferring to FIGS. 2a to 2 e.

First of all, it should be noted that the wire can be of any kind aslong as it is sufficiently resistant to the mechanical and chemicaltreatments that will be disclosed. Advantageously, the wire is aconductive electrical wire, for example, made of stainless steel, acopper-based alloy or copper, and the insertion method allows this wireto be electrically connected to a terminal 4 a, 4 b of the functionalcircuit 4 of the chip 1.

FIG. 2a shows a chip 1 as described above.

During a positioning step, a longitudinal section of two wires 7 a, 7 bis laid out along two grooves 2 a, 2 b. The pad 6 a, 6 b occupies asufficient portion of the groove 2 a, 2 b to prevent the wire from beingfully accommodated therein. During the positioning step, limited effortsare made on the wire 7 a, 7 b to press it against the pad 6 a, 6 b andput it in forced abutment against it. FIGS. 2b and 2c show the chip 1and two wires 7 a, 7 b upon completion of the positioning step. Thewires 7 a, 7 b are in contact with the pads 6 a, 6 b, they can also bein contact with one of the edges of the substrate 3 and/or the cover 5defining the contours of the grooves 2 a, 2 b on the side faces 1 a, 1 bof the chip 1. In the case where a pad 6 a, 6 b does not extend over thefull length of a groove 2 a, 2 b, a portion of the longitudinal sectionof a wire may be partially accommodated therein.

It should be remembered that the diameter of the wires is chosen to besmaller than the height of the grooves, so that in the absence of thepads 6 a, 6 b, the wires can be inserted without any particularembedding effort and be accommodated in the grooves 2 a, 2 b.

As shown in FIGS. 2d and 2d , the method of the present disclosure alsoincludes an insertion step, subsequent to the positioning step. Duringthis insertion step, a zone at least partially comprising the pads 6 a,6 b is exposed to a processing temperature above the melting point ofthe bonding material they contain, and for a sufficient time to melt it.The change to the liquid state of the bonding material, combined withthe modest forces exerted on the wires 7 a, 7 b, leads to the insertionof the latter into the grooves 2 a, 2 b as shown in FIG. 2e . It is notnecessary for the bonding material of the pads 6 a, 6 b to pass in itsentirety to the liquid state to cause the insertion of the wires 7 a, 7b. It is sufficient that only a portion of the material liquefies toclear a sufficient passage to allow the wires 7 a, 7 b to be engaged andaccommodated in the grooves 2 a, 2 b. The zone exposed to the processingtemperature includes all the pads 6 a, 6 b, but only a portion of thesepads 6 a, 6 b may directly be exposed to the processing temperature thatcan be caused by heat conduction.

When the chip 1 has several grooves 2 a, 2 b to accommodate severalwires 7 a, 7 b, as shown in the example shown in FIGS. 2a to 2e , theinsertion step can be performed successively or simultaneously for eachof the wires. The zone exposed to the processing temperature may belarge enough to at least partially include all the pads 6 a, 6 b.Alternatively, the insertion step may include the simultaneous orsuccessive exposure of several distinct zones, each encompassing atleast a portion of the pads 6 a, 6 b.

The insertion step can be carried out with a heating member, forexample, a generator of a flow of air or another heated fluid, byinduction, or by light irradiation such as laser irradiation orultraviolet radiation, leading to the generation of a heat flow definingthe heated zone at the chip 1. The flow is maintained for long enoughand has a sufficient temperature, higher than the melting point of thebonding material the pad 6 a, 6 b is made of, to cause it to melt. Ofcourse, the heating can be global, for example, by placing the chip 1 ina heated enclosure, but this approach could be a little more complex toimplement industrially.

As shown in FIG. 2e , the bonding material constituting the pads 6 a, 6b, once in the liquid state, tends to embed itself around the wire 7 a,7 b, and flow over the walls defining the grooves 2 a, 2 b. Some of thebonding material can be absorbed by the longitudinal section of the wireand contributes to reinforcing the mechanical strength of the wire 7 a,7 b in the grooves 2 a, 2 b.

When the wires 7 a, 7 b are inserted into the grooves 2 a, 2 b, the heattreatment of the bonding material can be interrupted either bydeactivating the heating member or by moving the chip 1 and/or themember so as to extract the chip 1 from the zone exposed to the heatflow. The interruption of the heat treatment in the zone restores atemperature lower than the melting point of the bonding material,typically at room temperature, which leads to a solid constitution andto the wire being joined to the chip. When the bonding material and thewires are electrical conductors, it is thus possible to electricallyconnect the wires 7 a, 7 b to terminals 4 a, 4 b of the functionalcircuit 4. It should therefore be noted that the method makes itpossible, in a combined way, to insert the wire and secure it to thechip 1 without the need for major embedding efforts. The pad 6 a, 6 bforms a kind of reservation of an assembly material, prepositioned inthe grooves.

Before or during the positioning step, the method of the presentdisclosure may provide for a step of preparing the wires 7 a, 7 b. Thisstep may include removing an insulating sheath surrounding a conductivecore, when the wires 7 a, 7 b are so formed, so that an electricallyconductive assembly can be formed with the chip 1. Alternatively, or inaddition, a cleaning or deoxidation processing of the wires 7 a, 7 b canbe provided to improve the formation of this contact and/or the adhesionof the pads 6 a, 6 b bonding material. In some alternative solutions,the preparation step may include tinning the wires or, more generally,coating them with a material that promotes electrical contact oradhesion of the bonding material. These treatments can be carried out,for example, by projecting or spraying liquid fluids or liquefiedliquids depending on the desired processing (acid, cleaning solution,liquid metal alloy, etc.).

The method according to the present disclosure may also includeadditional steps, after the wires 7 a, 7 b have been inserted into thegrooves 2 a, 2 b, during or after the assembly thereof on the chip 1 bysolidifying the bonding material. Thus, the method can include a step ofreinforcing the assembly of the wires 7 a, 7 b on the chip 1. This stepis particularly useful when unbalanced forces are applied to a pluralityof wires 7 a, 7 b leading to the formation of shear stresses in theirassemblies with the chip 1. The reinforcing step may include dispensingan adhesive into the grooves 2 a, 2 b and on at least a portion of thelongitudinal section of the wires 7 a, 7 b exposed in the grooves.Dispensing the adhesive can be supplemented by the exposure thereof, forexample, by UV treatment, and can be very short, of the order of onesecond or a few seconds, to stiffen the adhesive and promote theattachment thereof to the elements that it is in contact with.

The method may also include, as a complementary step, a step ofencapsulating the chip 1 in a sufficiently rigid and waterproofmaterial, such as resin, to protect it from mechanical or chemicalstresses in its final application. Preferably, this encapsulation issuch that all the faces of the chip 1, and particularly where the faceswhich the grooves 2 a, 2 b have been formed on, are in fact coated withthe encapsulating material.

In some cases, especially when the chip 1 is associated with severalconductive wires 7 a, 7 b, it may be necessary to electrically isolatethe wires 7 a, 7 b from each other. The present disclosure may thereforeprovide for a complementary step aimed at providing electricalinsulation on or between the wires 7 a, 7 b. The insulant can be made ofa liquid material placed on and between the conductive wires 7 a, 7 b,or even on the chip 1 itself, before being made solid. Preferably, theelectrical insulating material is not excessively rigid in order to keepthe wires 7 a, 7 b deformable, and may be of particular interestdepending on the application concerned.

The method may also include, as a complementary step, a step of bringingthe wires 7 a, 7 b into electrical contact in order to form a loop. Thiscontact can result in the dispensing of a conductive adhesive.

The method may also include, as a complementary step, a step of cuttingone or more wire(s) 7 a, 7 b. This may involve taking a segment providedwith at least one chip 1 for the integration thereof into an object. Itmay also involve cutting a portion of a wire to form a dipole antennaconnected to the chip 1 as taught in the document U.S. Pat. No.8,471,773. The cutting of one or more wire(s) 7 a, 7 b can be carriedout by any means known per se, for example, by using a mechanicalshearing tool or by laser cutting.

An additional step of testing and/or programming the chip 1 after it hasbeen assembled to the wires 7 a, 7 b can also be provided to ensure thatthe previous steps have not affected its functionality and/or make itfully functional.

The present disclosure also provides for a piece of equipment 8 forinserting a wire 7 a, 7 b into the groove 2 a, 2 b of a semiconductorchip 1, making it possible to implement a method according the one justdescribed. The piece of equipment 8 is particularly suitable for therepeated insertion of a wire into a plurality of chips 1, to form a chipchain 1.

FIGS. 3a and 3b show such piece of equipment at two particular times ofits operation. The piece of equipment 8 shown in these figures isconfigured to allow the simultaneous insertion of two wires 7 a, 7 binto two grooves 2 a, 2 b respectively of a chip 1. But the piece ofequipment of the present disclosure is by no means limited to thisparticular example and the same principles that will be explained mayapply for the insertion of a different number of wires.

The piece of equipment 8 includes positioning members 9, 9 a, 9 b todeploy, under a controlled state of tension, a wire 7 a, 7 b between twoends of a workspace. At one end of this space, a wire supply member 9 a,such as a reel, may be provided to extract the two wires 7 a, 7 b fromtwo supply reels. These wires 7 a, 7 b are deployed over the entirelength of the workspace to reach the second end which a storage member 9b such as a reel can be provided on, making it possible to position thechip chain that will be manufactured by the piece of equipment on astorage reel 8. The wires 7 a, 7 b are guided between the two ends byguide members 9 such as wheels or rollers to precisely position andguide the position in the space of the wires 7 a, 7 b, especially duringthe movements thereof. The positioning members 9 a, 9 b, 9 b, 9 can bemotorized to allow the wire to be driven, ensuring, as the piece ofequipment 8 processes, the transfer of the wires 7 a, 7 b from theirsupply reels to the storage reel.

The positioning members 9, 9 a, 9 b are also designed to control thetension of each wire 7 a, 7 b so that it can be between a minimumtension for which the wires 7 a, 7 b are not tensioned and a maximumtension for which the wires are likely to deteriorate or break. When thepiece of equipment 8 is designed to deploy a plurality of wires 7 a, 7b, as in the example shown, it may be advantageous to try to maintainthe same tension between the two wires. Similarly, when a plurality ofwires 7 a, 7 b are inserted into at least one chip 1, it is importantthat the movement of the wires 7 a, 7 b along the workspace during theprocessing performed by the piece of equipment 8 should be performedsimultaneously and with the same speed for each wire 7 a, 7 b in orderto avoid generating shearing forces on the chips 1, which could lead tothe disassembling of the wires 7 a, 7 b from the grooves 2 a, 2 b.

In the example shown, the two wires 7 a, 7 b are arranged in the samehorizontal plane so that they can be inserted into a chip 1 providedwith two grooves 2 a, 2 b also arranged in the same plane. Anotherconfiguration of the grooves 2 a, 2 b on the chip 1 could lead to adifferent adjustment of the arrangement of the wires 7 a, 7 b withrespect to each other.

The work space consists of an intermediate zone 10 a in which the stepof assembling the wires 7 a, 7 b and the chip 1 is performed.

Upstream of the intermediate zone 10 a, on the side of the first end andthe supply member 9 a, the two wires 7 a, 7 b are spaced from each otherby more than the distance between the two wires 7 a, 7 b when insertedinto the grooves 2 a, 2 b of the chip 1. When the distance between thegrooves 2 a, 2 b of a chip 1 is less than one millimeter, which isusual, the two wires 7 a, 7 b can be separated from each other, in theupstream zone 10 b, by a few millimeters, for example, 3 mm.

Downstream of the intermediate assembly zone 10 a, on the second end ofthe piece of equipment 8 and storage member 9 b side, the wires 7 a, 7 bare inserted into the grooves 2 a, 2 b and assembled with the chips 1.The distance between the two wires 7 a, 7 b is therefore imparted by thegeometry of the chip 1 and the depth of its grooves. This distance istypically less than 1 mm.

The guide elements 9 placed in the intermediate zone 10 a, or directlyin the vicinity of this zone, allow the spacing of the wires 7 a, 7 b tobe guided between the existing spacing in the upstream zone 10 b and theone existing in the downstream zone 10 c.

The piece of equipment shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b also includes a handlingdevice 11 that allows a chip 1 to be extracted from a chip storage zoneand positioned in an insertion position, located in the intermediatezone 10 a between the wires 7 a, 7 b. The insertion position can bematerialized by a tray that the chip 1 can be positioned and fixedlyheld on. When a chip 1 is correctly positioned in the insertionposition, the grooves 2 a, 2 b of the chip are positioned facing and atthe same elevation as the wires 7 a, 7 b and in the same plane. Thehandling device 11 can be an automatic component insertion (“Pick andPlace”) machine comprising an articulated arm with a suction nozzlemaking it possible to grasp a chip 1 from the storage area and positionsame precisely in the insertion position thereof.

The piece of equipment 8 also includes a member 12 for positioning thewires 7 a, 7 b. This member 12 placed in the intermediate insertion zone10 a can be supported on the wires 7 a, 7 b, according to twoconfigurations. In a first “open” configuration, shown in FIG. 3a , thepositioning member 12 does not or or does not sufficiently rest on thewires 7 a, 7 b, leaving a space between these wires 7 a, 7 b clear inorder to be able to place a chip 1, therein, in the insertion position.In a second configuration of the positioning member 12, shown in FIG. 3b, the latter is controllably resting to position the wires 7 a, 7 balong the grooves 2 a, 2 b, pressed against the pads 6 a, 6 b placed inthese grooves, and therefore in forced abutment against the pads 6 a, 6b.

According to the present disclosure, the piece of equipment 8 alsoincludes at least one heating member 13 arranged in or near theintermediate zone 10 a, to raise to a processing temperature a zonecomprising at least a portion of the pads 6 a, 6 b arranged in thegrooves 2 a, 2 b, when a chip 1 is placed in the insertion position. Asseen in the detailed description of the method of the presentdisclosure, the heating member 12 allows the temperature of the bondingmaterial forming the pads 6 a, 6 b to be raised above its melting point.The member 12 may include a generator of a flow of hot air or any othergaseous fluid, a generator of a light radiation such as UV or laserradiation, a generator of induction heating. The member 12 may includeseveral generators, each generator exposing a particular zone, located,for example, in each of the grooves 2 a, 2 b of a chip 1 when it isplaced in the insertion position.

All the members just described may be connected to a processing device,not shown in the figures, ensuring the sequencing of the operations ofmoving the wires 7 a, 7 b, placing the chip 1 in the insertion position,actuating the insertion members 12, and the heating member 13 to allowthe insertion method of the present disclosure to be carried out at highspeed.

In addition to the members arranged in or near the intermediate assemblyzone 10 a just described, the piece of equipment 8 may also provide,upstream and/or downstream of this zone, other additional members 14 tocarry out the steps of preparing the wires 7 a, 7 b, and thecomplementary steps on the assembly formed by the chip 1 and the wires 7a, 7 b. These additional members may include dispensing nozzles for, forexample, spraying cleaning, deoxidation, tin plating or adhesive fluidsonto the wires 7 a, 7 b and/or into the grooves 2 a, 2 b. The additionalmembers may also include a laser source for cutting a wire or a UVsource for solidifying an adhesive or a resin. It can also be amechanical device for cutting wires by shearing, or chip testing orprogramming means. Preferably, these additional members 14 make itpossible to process the wires 7 a, 7 b or the chip 1 without contactingthese elements.

The additional members 14 are advantageously distributed, in theworkspace, along the wires 7 a, 7 b on the upstream zone 10 b side andin the downstream zone 10 c so that the processings carried out by thesemembers and by those placed in the intermediate zone 10 a, can all beperformed simultaneously. In other words, when the wires 7 a, 7 b aredriven by the supply, guide and storage members 9 a, 9 and 9 b, to bemoved by a length portion corresponding to the spacing between twochips, the additional members are positioned opposite a chip (downstreamof the intermediate insertion zone) or opposite a longitudinal sectionof wire (upstream of this zone) that they can process. When all theprocesses have been carried out by these members, the wires 7 a, 7 b canbe driven and moved by an additional length portion.

In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the wires 7 a, 7b can be continuously driven, in order to further increase the workingrate. In this case, the chip 1 can be positioned on a plate moving inthe wire driving direction and at the same speed so that the chip 1 issubstantially stationary relative to the wires 7 a, 7 b, and allow theinsertion thereof into the grooves 2 a, 2 b and the assembly thereof.

First Example

The above described method and piece of equipment 8 can be used toproduce a transmission reception device 15 and a chain of such devices,as described in document U.S. Pat. No. 8,471,773.

Such a transmission reception device 15 is formed by a chip 1 accordingto the one shown in FIG. 1a , comprising two longitudinal grooves 2 a, 2b arranged on opposite sides of the chip 1. Two conductive wires 7 a, 7b are placed in the grooves 2 a, 2 b. These wires extend on either sideof the chip 1 to form a dipole-shaped antenna. The wires 7 a, 7 b areelectrically connected to terminals 4 a, 4 b of a transmission receptioncircuit 4, positioned, for example, in the substrate 3 of the chip 1.FIG. 4a shows a schematic representation of such a transmissionreception device 15.

For reasons of mechanical resistance, in particular, to bending, thewire is preferably chosen in stainless steel. In some cases, however,copper-based alloy or copper wires may be preferred.

To manufacture such a transmission reception device, or a chain of suchdevices, two wire coils are placed in the unwinders of the positioningmembers 9 a, and these wires 7 a, 7 b are deployed through thepositioning members 9 until they are attached to the storage spool ofthe reel forming the positioning member 9 b. Once positioned, thedifferent positioning members are activated to position the wires in astate of tension and in the same plane to prepare the insertion of thewires 7 a, 7 b into the chips 1. Transmission reception chips 1, forexample, RFID chips, are positioned in the chip storage zone and can besuccessively moved, during the processing sequences, to the insertionposition by the handling device 11. During each new processing sequence,the members that the piece of equipment 8 is made of simultaneouslyperform the following operations, before moving the wire by a specifiedlength and repeating these operations again.

In the upstream zone 10 b of the workspace, at an additional member 14:

-   -   cleaning, and possibly tin-plating a longitudinal section of the        wires 7 a, 7 b intended to be accommodated in the grooves 2 a, 2        b of a chip 1.

In the intermediate zone 10 a, using the members located in this zone:

-   -   removing a chip 1 from the storage area and positioning this        chip 1 in the insertion position;    -   inserting the longitudinal sections of the wires 7 a, 7 b that        have been previously prepared during a previous sequence; and    -   assembling the wires 7 a, 7 b in the grooves 2 a, 2 b by        liquefying and solidifying the bonding material initially        forming the pads 6 a, 6 b.

In the downstream zone 10 c, using additional members 14 arranged inthis zone opposite a plurality of chips 1 assembled to the wires 7 a, 7b during previous sequences:

-   -   dispensing an adhesive into the grooves 2 a, 2 b and on the        longitudinal sections of the wires exposed in these grooves and        exposure of the adhesive to harden it and reinforce the assembly        of the wires 7 a, 7 b on the chip 1;    -   cutting one of the two wires 7 a, 7 b in order to preform        dipole-shaped antennas;    -   encapsulating the chip 1 in a protective material such as a        rigid resin, allowing it to be mechanically and chemically        protected; and    -   functional testing of the chip 1, and programming the chip 1 to        assign it a unique identification number.

It should be noted that dispensing an adhesive into the grooves 2 a, 2 band on the longitudinal sections of the wires can lead to the formationof an adhesive meniscus between the wire and one edge of the chip,perpendicular to the wire. This meniscus helps to make the assembly ofthe chip and the wires 7 a, 7 b particularly resistant to the forcesthat could be applied to the wires and that would tend to disengage themfrom the chip.

Upon completion of the manufacturing process, a storage coil isobtained, comprising a chain 16 of transmission reception devices 15, asshown schematically in FIG. 4b . Segments forming a functionaltransmission reception device 15 that can be integrated into an object,for example, for identification purposes, can be taken from this chain16.

As shown in FIG. 4a , each transmission reception device 15 of the chain16 comprises a chip 1 having two longitudinal grooves 2 a, 2 b parallelto each other and arranged on two opposite sides of the chip 1. Thetransmission reception device also includes a functional transmissionreception circuit 4, and two wire segments 7 a, 7 b accommodated in thegrooves 2 a, 2 b and spreading out each from one side of a groove 2 a, 2b to form a dipole-shaped antenna. The wire segments 7 a, 7 b are inelectrical contact with terminals 4 a, 4 b of the functional circuit 4,arranged in the groove, via a bonding material 17. The wire segments arealso maintained in the grooves 2 a, 2 b by one adhesive 18 positioned inthese grooves 2 a, 2 b and on the exposed side of the wires 7 a, 7 b.The chip 1 is also coated and encapsulated in a protective material 19.

Second Example

This second example relates to a transmission reception device 20,similar to the one of the first example. In this second example,however, shown schematically in FIG. 5a , the transmission receptiondevice 20 has an antenna with a loop, formed by electrically connectingone end of one wire 7 b to the other wire 7 a. To manufacture thisdevice, a manufacturing process similar to the one of the precedingexample is used. During each new processing sequence, the members thatthe piece of equipment 8 is made of simultaneously perform the followingoperations, before moving the wire by a set length and repeating theseoperations again.

In the upstream zone 10 b of the workspace, at an additional member 14:

-   -   cleaning, and possibly tin-plating a longitudinal section of the        wires 7 a, 7 b intended to be accommodated in the grooves 2 a, 2        b of a chip 1.

In the intermediate zone 10 a, using the members located in this zone:

-   -   removing a chip 1 from the storage zone and positioning this        chip 1 in the insertion position;    -   inserting the longitudinal sections of the wires 7 a, 7 b that        have been previously prepared during a preceding sequence; and    -   assembling the wires 7 a, 7 b in the grooves 2 a, 2 b by        liquefying and solidifying the bonding material initially        forming the pads 6 a, 6 b.

In the downstream zone 10 c, using additional members 14 arranged inthis zone opposite a plurality of chips 1 assembled to the wire 7 a, 7 bduring preceding sequences:

-   -   dispensing an electrically insulating material at least on the        two wires 7 a, 7 b arranged on one side of the chip to avoid        putting them in electrical contact over a set distance. The        insulation can also be dispensed on the chip;    -   Optionally, at the end of the insulating zone that has been        formed or prior to this insulation step, bringing the two wires        7 a, 7 b into electrical contact, for example, by moving them        closer together using movable jaws similar to the positioning        members 12 of the intermediate zone and welding them together.        Alternatively, it may be planned to dispense a conductive glue        or any other conductive material on and between the two wires 7        a, 7 b in order to establish this electrical contact. A loop is        thus formed. If this operation is not carried out, the formation        of the loop can be obtained later, after removing a segment of        the storage coil, before the device is integrated into an        object;    -   encapsulation of the chip 1 in a protective material such as a        rigid resin, allowing it to be mechanically and chemically        protected. This encapsulation step can be omitted when an        electrically insulating material has been previously dispensed        on the chip and the wires;    -   cutting one of the wires along the chip 1, for example, by        forming a notch (laser cut) 22 in the encapsulation layer deep        enough to cause the wire to break locally; and    -   operational testing of the chip 1, and programming of the chip 1        to assign it a unique identification number.

In this second example, it is not necessary to cut a segment of wire toform the antenna. A chain 21 composed of two wires 7 a, 7 b on which thechips 1 are assembled is preserved. Segments forming an operationaltransmission reception device can be removed from the device chain thatis formed according to the method described above, wherein, like theprevious example, an object can be integrated in order to identify same.This chain 21 is schematically shown in FIG. 5 b.

As shown in FIG. 5c , each transmission reception device 20 includes achip 1 with two longitudinal grooves 2 a, 2 b parallel to each other andarranged on two opposite sides of the chip 1. The transmission receptiondevice also includes an operational transmission reception circuit 4,and two wire segments 7 a, 7 b accommodated in the grooves 2 a, 2 b. Italso includes two wire segments 7 a, 7 b accommodated in the grooves 2a, 2 b and spreading out on either side of these grooves 2 a, 2 b. Thewires 7 a, 7 b can be in contact with each other on one side of the chip1 to form a loop and the longitudinal section of the wires accommodatedin the grooves 2 a, 2 b is in electrical contact with the terminals 4 a,4 b of an operational circuit 4 arranged in the grooves 2 a, 2 b via abonding material 17. The wire segments constituting the loop, andpossibly the chip, can be at least partially embedded in an electricallyinsulating material 23, thus avoiding electrical contact between same.The chip 1 is embedded and encapsulated in a protective material 19,especially when it has not been embedded in the insulating material. Theencapsulation material(s) has/have a notch 22 that has been used to cutone of the wires to make the antenna functional.

The transmission reception device 15, 20 of the first and secondexamples can be inserted into a textile thread, for example, by taping,as taught in document U.S. Pat. No. 8,814,054. More generally, it can beinserted into a textile or plastic material, a fabric or a sheath.

Thus, the textile thread or segments of this thread including thetransmission reception device, or more generally the textile or plasticmaterial, the fabric or the sheath in which the device has beeninserted, can itself be integrated into an object, whether textile ornot.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the mode ofimplementation described and alternative embodiments can be providedwithout going beyond the scope of the present disclosure as defined bythe claims.

1. A method for inserting a wire into a longitudinal groove of asemiconductor chip for the assembly thereof, the groove containing a padmade of a bonding material having a melting point, the methodcomprising: positioning a longitudinal section of the wire along thegroove, in abutment against the pad; and exposing a zone containing atleast one portion of the pad to a processing temperature higher than themelting point of the bonding material and for a sufficient time to atleast partially melt the pad, and inserting the wire into the groove. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the pad occupies a sufficient portion ofthe groove to prevent the wire from being accommodated therein.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising solidifying the bonding materialto assemble the wire and the chip after inserting the wire into thegroove.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining thewire in a state of tension while inserting the wire into the groove, andwherein positioning the longitudinal section of the wire along thegroove, in abutment against the pad further comprises pressing the wireagainst the pad.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the zonecontaining at least one portion of the pad to the processing temperaturecomprises exposing the zone to a hot air flow or heating the at leastone portion of the pad by induction.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising preparing the longitudinal section of the wire to be insertedinto the groove before or during the positioning of the longitudinalsection of the wire along the groove.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinpreparing the longitudinal section of the wire comprises depositing acoating layer on the longitudinal section of the wire.
 8. The method ofclaim 6, wherein preparing the longitudinal section of the wirecomprises a step of cleaning and/or deoxidation of the longitudinalsection of the wire.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdispensing an adhesive into the groove and on the longitudinal sectionof the wire exposed in the groove after positioning the longitudinalsection of the wire along the groove.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising encapsulating the chip and/or at least a portion of the wireafter inserting the wire into the groove.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the wire is electrically conductive.
 12. The method of claim 1,further comprising: providing at least one additional semiconductor chiphaving a longitudinal groove containing a pad made of a bonding materialhaving a melting point; positioning another longitudinal section of thewire along the groove of the at least one additional semiconductor chip,in abutment against the pad of the at least one additional semiconductorchip; and exposing another zone containing at least one portion of thepad of the at least one additional semiconductor chip to a processingtemperature higher than the melting point of the bonding material andfor a sufficient time to at least partially melt the pad of the at leastone additional semiconductor chip, and inserting the wire into thegroove of the at least one additional semiconductor chip.
 13. A systemfor inserting a wire into at least one chip, the chip having a groovefor receiving a longitudinal section of the wire and the groovecontaining a pad made of a bonding material having a melting point, thepiece of equipment comprising: positioning members for deploying andmoving a length of the wire between a first end and a second end of aworkspace; a handling device for handling the chip, the handling devicecapable of placing the chip in an insertion position in which the grooveis placed opposite the wire; a positioning member for arranging thelongitudinal section of the wire along the groove, in forced abutmentagainst the pad; and a heating member for heating a zone comprising thepad to a processing temperature when the chip is placed in the insertionposition.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the positioning membersare configured to deploy two parallel wires between the first end andthe second end, and wherein the insertion position is located betweenthe two wires.
 15. The system of claim 13, further comprising at leastone additional member arranged in the workspace, downstream or upstreamof the insertion position of the chip.
 16. The system of claim 13,wherein the additional member and the positioning member are positionedand configured in the workspace so that the processes performed by thesemembers can be conducted simultaneously.